1. selimahope's Avatar
    Hello crackberry! I am not an active member in the community bit I do read almost every post on the site. Well I'll start by confessing that I've never owned a blackberry but my sister was the first person I've seen with one (a Curve). My smartphone world started with an android phone and since then I've owned 3 of them (og galaxy tab, huawei y300 and a Nexus 4). I went on vacations to Mexico where my Nexus 4 (the fastest phone I've ever owned) was stolen and I then bought a cheaper phone (Huawei) but I want to switch the platform because of the sluggish performance and I've read many reviews of the blackberry Z30.
    02-21-19 10:58 AM
  2. sedalia066's Avatar
    The Z30 is a fine device overall but the OS is not supported any longer. May be better to look for a Motion if the vkb is important.
    Laura Knotek and Byrese like this.
    02-21-19 06:55 PM
  3. Chuck Finley69's Avatar
    Hello crackberry! I am not an active member in the community bit I do read almost every post on the site. Well I'll start by confessing that I've never owned a blackberry but my sister was the first person I've seen with one (a Curve). My smartphone world started with an android phone and since then I've owned 3 of them (og galaxy tab, huawei y300 and a Nexus 4). I went on vacations to Mexico where my Nexus 4 (the fastest phone I've ever owned) was stolen and I then bought a cheaper phone (Huawei) but I want to switch the platform because of the sluggish performance and I've read many reviews of the blackberry Z30.
    Do not buy a Z30 or any other BB10 device in 2019 if you’re going to use as everyday phone. BB10 will is declared End Of Life on 12/31/2019 does not give you full Android ecosystem with complete app selection.
    Laura Knotek, Rico4you and Byrese like this.
    02-21-19 11:51 PM
  4. TrumpetTiger's Avatar
    Hello crackberry! I am not an active member in the community bit I do read almost every post on the site. Well I'll start by confessing that I've never owned a blackberry but my sister was the first person I've seen with one (a Curve). My smartphone world started with an android phone and since then I've owned 3 of them (og galaxy tab, huawei y300 and a Nexus 4). I went on vacations to Mexico where my Nexus 4 (the fastest phone I've ever owned) was stolen and I then bought a cheaper phone (Huawei) but I want to switch the platform because of the sluggish performance and I've read many reviews of the blackberry Z30.
    Hi selima,

    You will get different answers to your desire to switch to a Z30 or any other Blackberry 10 device depending on who you ask these days, but I would urge you to give it some serious consideration. However, you do need to be aware of some things (which you may already know):

    1. Blackberry World (the native BB10 app store) will be shut down as of 12/31/2019. It is possible to sideload certain native apps if they've been publicly released, but essentially many native apps will no longer be able to be downloaded after that point.

    2. While Blackberry 10 can run Android apps, its runtime limits it to Android 4.3 and earlier, which is a few versions out of date at this point. This means that many popular Android games and some apps may not run on your Z30.

    If you're aware of these points and still want to go for a Z30, great! Blackberry 10 is the most secure and privacy-conscious platform even today and a great choice for those who understand its limitations as well as benefits.

    Posted via CB10
    02-22-19 03:00 AM
  5. Chuck Finley69's Avatar
    Hi selima,

    You will get different answers to your desire to switch to a Z30 or any other Blackberry 10 device depending on who you ask these days, but I would urge you to give it some serious consideration. However, you do need to be aware of some things (which you may already know):

    1. Blackberry World (the native BB10 app store) will be shut down as of 12/31/2019. It is possible to sideload certain native apps if they've been publicly released, but essentially many native apps will no longer be able to be downloaded after that point.

    2. While Blackberry 10 can run Android apps, its runtime limits it to Android 4.3 and earlier, which is a few versions out of date at this point. This means that many popular Android games and some apps may not run on your Z30.

    If you're aware of these points and still want to go for a Z30, great! Blackberry 10 is the most secure and privacy-conscious platform even today and a great choice for those who understand its limitations as well as benefits.

    Posted via CB10
    While these points are technically all correct, the points are lost on someone, not completely understanding even the simplified jargon. OP this is not directed at you specifically, but the actual members of this site that observe discussions, infrequently. Many also don’t realize threads are discussions that span months or years. Some information was correct at time of post, two or three years ago, might still be correct, but doesn’t change that many opinions were comparisons based at that point in time.

    Most importantly, the reason for the OP to consider a Z30 is sluggish performance of current Android device. The OP current device specifically doesn’t measure up to Nexus 4 speed wise using Android ecosystem. How do you think Z30 compares to Nexus 4 when running the Android ecosystem?

    The OP doesn’t appear to purchase all the latest devices each year or two. Perhaps they’re attracted by the low price of the Z30 that is getting hard to almost give away, even in the $50-$60 range here in our CB marketplace.
    Rico4you likes this.
    02-22-19 06:44 AM
  6. thurask's Avatar
    Hello crackberry! I am not an active member in the community bit I do read almost every post on the site. Well I'll start by confessing that I've never owned a blackberry but my sister was the first person I've seen with one (a Curve). My smartphone world started with an android phone and since then I've owned 3 of them (og galaxy tab, huawei y300 and a Nexus 4). I went on vacations to Mexico where my Nexus 4 (the fastest phone I've ever owned) was stolen and I then bought a cheaper phone (Huawei) but I want to switch the platform because of the sluggish performance and I've read many reviews of the blackberry Z30.
    Don't bother with the Z30, it's from six years ago and whatever Huawei you have is a Ferrari in comparison.

    If you want a BlackBerry your best bet is the KEY2/KEY2LE/KEYone, depending on which carrier you want to use it on (hopefully not Sprint), price range, availability, and feature set.
    Rico4you likes this.
    02-22-19 09:31 AM
  7. TrumpetTiger's Avatar
    While these points are technically all correct, the points are lost on someone, not completely understanding even the simplified jargon. OP this is not directed at you specifically, but the actual members of this site that observe discussions, infrequently. Many also don’t realize threads are discussions that span months or years. Some information was correct at time of post, two or three years ago, might still be correct, but doesn’t change that many opinions were comparisons based at that point in time.

    Most importantly, the reason for the OP to consider a Z30 is sluggish performance of current Android device. The OP current device specifically doesn’t measure up to Nexus 4 speed wise using Android ecosystem. How do you think Z30 compares to Nexus 4 when running the Android ecosystem?

    The OP doesn’t appear to purchase all the latest devices each year or two. Perhaps they’re attracted by the low price of the Z30 that is getting hard to almost give away, even in the $50-$60 range here in our CB marketplace.
    Chuck, you know I like you...but if we're concerned about selima understanding jargon, we probably shouldn't use terms like OP. (selima, that stands for Original Poster by the way)

    But to answer your questions:

    1. Having used a Nexus 4, they're actually pretty much the same. But selima didn't say "sluggish performance on the Android ecosystem," he/she said "sluggish performance." The Z30 runs circles around most non-flagship or older Android devices when it comes to native apps.

    Selima, I just realized there's another point to emphasize here in case you're not aware: the Z30, and all other Blackberry 10 devices, do not run Android natively but rather Blackberry's Blackberry 10 OS. They can emulate Android apps but it's not the same as buying an Android device.

    Posted via CB10
    02-22-19 11:04 AM
  8. thurask's Avatar
    Having used a Nexus 4, they're actually pretty much the same. But selima didn't say "sluggish performance on the Android ecosystem," he/she said "sluggish performance." The Z30 runs circles around most non-flagship or older Android devices when it comes to native apps.
    Your comparison is missing that "when it comes to native apps" is only applicable for the dwindling handful of native apps available on BB10.
    02-22-19 11:19 AM
  9. TrumpetTiger's Avatar
    Your comparison is missing that "when it comes to native apps" is only applicable for the dwindling handful of native apps available on BB10.
    There are quite a few native apps available, which serve most if not all of the major functions for which most people use a smartphone. However, you are welcome to your opinion.

    Posted via CB10
    02-22-19 11:32 AM
  10. thurask's Avatar
    There are quite a few native apps available, which serve most if not all of the major functions for which most people use a smartphone. However, you are welcome to your opinion.

    Posted via CB10
    You are welcome to your own opinion, but you are not welcome to your own facts. You might be fine with using it like a 2006 flip-phone, but for most people, not so much.

    Let's browse the top 20 apps on the iTunes store:



    Find any BB10 native equivalents still working in 2019? Email, maybe?

    Or how about Google Play?



    Spotify, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Uber those seem popular, but BB World seems a little light.

    Speaking of which:



    A few obsoleted popular apps and a handful of shoddy third party alternatives. Not that any of this matters when World is put out of its misery in December.

    If you added a "get used to workarounds, a junk browser, and the idea of BB finally washing their hands of this thing and shutting services down once and for all hanging over your head like the sword of Damocles" to your incessant BB10 Pollyanna-ism then maybe it wouldn't be met with the same reaction every time.
    ppeters914 likes this.
    02-22-19 11:47 AM
  11. TrumpetTiger's Avatar
    You are welcome to your own opinion, but you are not welcome to your own facts. You might be fine with using it like a 2006 flip-phone, but for most people, not so much.

    Let's browse the top 20 apps on the iTunes store:

    https://i.imgur.com/N54sGkR.png

    Find any BB10 native equivalents still working in 2019? Email, maybe?

    Or how about Google Play?

    https://i.imgur.com/yNW9CF8.png

    Spotify, Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Uber those seem popular, but BB World seems a little light.

    Speaking of which:

    https://i.imgur.com/t49UzG1.png

    A few obsoleted popular apps and a handful of shoddy third party alternatives. Not that any of this matters when World is put out of its misery in December.

    If you added a "get used to workarounds, a junk browser, and the idea of BB finally washing their hands of this thing and shutting services down once and for all hanging over your head like the sword of Damocles" to your incessant BB10 Pollyanna-ism then maybe it wouldn't be met with the same reaction every time.
    You indicated in your original post that there were only "a dwindling handful of native apps" available for BB10. You said nothing about comparing popular app availability. In the unlikely event you actually want to discuss this topic rather than bash BB10 and me, say what you mean.

    You likewise are not entitled to your own facts. One such fact is that there are many sources other than Blackberry World for native apps, which can then easily be side loaded to a device.

    I use my BB10 devices like the smartphones they are. If you want to try and insult people into changing devices, that's up to you. But my "Pollyanna-ism" is based in truth and facts, and it will respond to the incessant "BB10 is God-awful and should be wiped from existence"-ism that is peddled on these forums every time.

    Posted via CB10
    02-22-19 12:05 PM
  12. conite's Avatar
    You indicated in your original post that there were only "a dwindling handful of native apps" available for BB10. You said nothing about comparing popular app availability. In the unlikely event you actually want to discuss this topic rather than bash BB10 and me, say what you mean.

    You likewise are not entitled to your own facts. One such fact is that there are many sources other than Blackberry World for native apps, which can then easily be side loaded to a device.

    I use my BB10 devices like the smartphones they are. If you want to try and insult people into changing devices, that's up to you. But my "Pollyanna-ism" is based in truth and facts, and it will respond to the incessant "BB10 is God-awful and should be wiped from existence"-ism that is peddled on these forums every time.

    Posted via CB10
    But, as thurask pointed out, how do you reconcile your statement "there are quite a few native apps available, which serve most if not all of the major functions for which most people use a smartphone" with the top 20 apps from the AppStore?
    02-22-19 12:27 PM
  13. TrumpetTiger's Avatar
    But, as thurask pointed out, how do you reconcile your statement "there are quite a few native apps available, which serve most if not all of the major functions for which most people use a smartphone" with the top 20 apps from the AppStore?
    Admittedly "major functions" is a subjective statement, but off the cuff:

    1. Blackberry Hub and related services--e-mail, SMS, MMS, phone calls, voice mail, instant chat via BBM, etc.

    2. Native photos/music/video players, but also Camera++ and Star Player.

    3. Podcasts--bPod.

    4. eBooks--Playepub.

    5. Games--Retro Rogue, Sector Strike, Alpha Zero.

    Again, that's just a partial list, but it covers many of the major functions, I would argue.
    02-22-19 12:37 PM
  14. conite's Avatar
    Admittedly "major functions" is a subjective statement, but off the cuff:

    1. Blackberry Hub and related services--e-mail, SMS, MMS, phone calls, voice mail, instant chat via BBM, etc.

    2. Native photos/music/video players, but also Camera++ and Star Player.

    3. Podcasts--bPod.

    4. eBooks--Playepub.

    5. Games--Retro Rogue, Sector Strike, Alpha Zero.

    Again, that's just a partial list, but it covers many of the major functions, I would argue.
    The ability to play music is NOT the same as running Spotify.

    The ability to communicate with others is NOT the same as communicating via SnapChat, Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp.

    Those apps, in and of themselves, ARE the major functions of a smartphone today - as indicated by their ubiquitous popularity.

    No one will argue that BB10 is a capable email and SMS platform. But don't profess that "most if not all" of the required native apps are available.
    02-22-19 12:47 PM
  15. TrumpetTiger's Avatar
    The ability to play music is NOT the same as running Spotify.

    The ability to communicate with others is NOT the same as communicating via SnapChat, Facebook, Instagram, or WhatsApp.

    Those apps, in and of themselves, ARE the major functions of a smartphone today - as indicated by their ubiquitous popularity.

    No one will argue that BB10 is a capable email and SMS platform. But don't profess that "most if not all" of the required native apps are available.
    And that would be where the definition of "major functions" comes into play.

    Most if not all of the major functions for which most people use a smartphone (my original statement--yours was "required native apps" which is even more subjective than major functions) do indeed have native apps. While Spotify is a major streaming platform (I use it myself via the Android app, which works perfectly as a side note), there are many people who listen to music in other ways.

    Likewise, many people do not use SnapChat, Facebook (especially these days), Instagram, or even WhatsApp.

    Trying to suggest that being able to run specific apps defines a smartphone, and that those apps are all that is needed on a smartphone, is insulting to the developers of apps for other platforms and that perform other needed functions.

    You may only need Spotify and chat apps, but that's you. Others have other needs, and as has been pointed out before ad nauseum in other threads, their needs should be what defines their choice of a phone--not yours.
    02-22-19 12:55 PM
  16. conite's Avatar

    You may only need Spotify and chat apps, but that's you. Others have other needs, and as has been pointed out before ad nauseum in other threads, their needs should be what defines their choice of a phone--not yours.
    I actually don't use any of those apps myself. I'm not defining what apps/functions are used by most - I'm letting the stats do that.

    Nor am I debating that a vanishingly small minority are perfectly satisfied with email, SMS, and a hodgepodge of old Android apps and native "alternatives".
    02-22-19 01:05 PM
  17. TrumpetTiger's Avatar
    I actually don't use any of those apps myself. I'm not defining what apps/functions are used by most - I'm letting the stats do that.

    Nor am I debating that a vanishingly small minority are perfectly satisfied with email, SMS, and a hodgepodge of old Android apps and native "alternatives".
    If we're going to define the existence of something--not its popularity mind you, but whether it defines its own category of existence--by numbers, then the only Android smartphones are Galaxy S devices and Blackberry Mobile does not actually make smartphones, due to their comparatively low popularity.

    Using a more objective standard for your analysis might provide both more accurate and more beneficial results (from your perspective). But just as you and thurask are entitled to your opinions, you are also entitled to use whatever standard of analysis you wish.
    02-22-19 01:14 PM
  18. conite's Avatar

    Using a more objective standard for your analysis might provide both more accurate and more beneficial results
    The fact that WhatsApp is used regularly by 1.6 billion people is not a good gauge of what people have determined to be a major smartphone function?
    02-22-19 01:33 PM
  19. Chuck Finley69's Avatar
    Chuck, you know I like you...but if we're concerned about selima understanding jargon, we probably shouldn't use terms like OP. (selima, that stands for Original Poster by the way)

    But to answer your questions:

    1. Having used a Nexus 4, they're actually pretty much the same. But selima didn't say "sluggish performance on the Android ecosystem," he/she said "sluggish performance." The Z30 runs circles around most non-flagship or older Android devices when it comes to native apps.

    Selima, I just realized there's another point to emphasize here in case you're not aware: the Z30, and all other Blackberry 10 devices, do not run Android natively but rather Blackberry's Blackberry 10 OS. They can emulate Android apps but it's not the same as buying an Android device.

    Posted via CB10
    That’s my point regarding jargon. Even when attempting to speak normal, we speak techno-nerd and BB10 isn’t even same common dialect.....

    Won’t running Android ecosystem apps from wherever, on a Z30 running BB10 instead of Android directly, since running via the 4.3 ART result in a slower or sluggish performance than her Nexus 4 or similar generation specs Android device?

    If attempting to run BB10 native only, doesn’t that require a person to basically transition away from most Android/IOS apps in general? I know 2-3 years ago, running Android ecosystem apps from variety of sources and methods, usually meant battery drain and sluggishness compared with the LG G2 I dual carried with Z30 at same time.

    If person has invested assets into any ecosystem, that’s a negative for switching right there. OP stated her Nexus 4 replacement was sluggish downgrade. If still using ART in the Z30, you’re sending poor selima down a similar path...

    The Z30 would be useful for the next 10-24 months if selima gives up Android ecosystem and nothing BB10 related further breaks. In 24 months, the Z30 will be so obsolete, it will make phone calls and retrieve email as long as the data bands haven’t been repurposed depending on specific carrier, which never even came up......
    02-22-19 01:34 PM
  20. TrumpetTiger's Avatar
    That’s my point regarding jargon. Even when attempting to speak normal, we speak techno-nerd and BB10 isn’t even same common dialect.....

    Won’t running Android ecosystem apps from wherever, on a Z30 running BB10 instead of Android directly, since running via the 4.3 ART result in a slower or sluggish performance than her Nexus 4 or similar generation specs Android device?

    If attempting to run BB10 native only, doesn’t that require a person to basically transition away from most Android/IOS apps in general? I know 2-3 years ago, running Android ecosystem apps from variety of sources and methods, usually meant battery drain and sluggishness compared with the LG G2 I dual carried with Z30 at same time.

    If person has invested assets into any ecosystem, that’s a negative for switching right there. OP stated her Nexus 4 replacement was sluggish downgrade. If still using ART in the Z30, you’re sending poor selima down a similar path...

    The Z30 would be useful for the next 10-24 months if selima gives up Android ecosystem and nothing BB10 related further breaks. In 24 months, the Z30 will be so obsolete, it will make phone calls and retrieve email as long as the data bands haven’t been repurposed depending on specific carrier, which never even came up......
    There is some techno-speak required when discussing technical devices, but if you'll review my original post I think you'll find I kept to standard terms as much as possible.

    1. Not in my experience. Older generation Android devices are notoriously horrible in terms of performance.

    2. Not necessarily, as many Android apps as you know will run on BB10. Not all of course, but that's why I asked selima about specific needs.

    3. That's just not true based on my experience, but selima has not indicated an extensive use of Android apps...and given that they want to come to BB10, I doubt there would be such a use. But again...that's why we ask.

    4. BB10 will be useful for some time to come given the built-in native apps in autoloaders and sideloading other native apps, to say nothing of Android apps that will run successfully. As for carriers, again, that's a question to be asked, not an assumption to be made.
    02-22-19 01:47 PM
  21. Dunt Dunt Dunt's Avatar
    Hello crackberry! I am not an active member in the community bit I do read almost every post on the site. .
    If you have read almost every post on the site..... you should have an understanding of how old the Z30 is and what it's limitation are. Go for it.

    Not really sure what HELP you are asking for? Where to find one.... ebay or your market's equivalent is probable the best option.

    If you need more than that, then just ask. And welcome to CrackBerry.
    02-22-19 03:04 PM
  22. Lindsay Dastrup's Avatar
    Don't bother with the Z30, it's from six years ago and whatever Huawei you have is a Ferrari in comparison.

    If you want a BlackBerry your best bet is the KEY2/KEY2LE/KEYone, depending on which carrier you want to use it on (hopefully not Sprint), price range, availability, and feature set.
    Not a fan of sprint , eh?? ;P
    02-24-19 03:53 PM
  23. johnny_bravo72's Avatar
    Not a fan of sprint , eh?? ;P
    Sprint has fans? 😜
    ppeters914 likes this.
    02-24-19 04:13 PM
  24. Rico4you's Avatar
    Don't bother with the Z30, it's from six years ago and whatever Huawei you have is a Ferrari in comparison.

    If you want a BlackBerry your best bet is the KEY2/KEY2LE/KEYone, depending on which carrier you want to use it on (hopefully not Sprint), price range, availability, and feature set.
    THIS
    02-24-19 05:11 PM
  25. bakron1's Avatar
    I would recommend the Key2 or KeyOne as others have stated. I would not buy a OS10 device at this time because of the end of the road for OS10 is just around the corner.

    As far as carriers, I am also not a sprint fan and there are Key2 and KeyOne models that are GSM unlocked you can use on T Mobile or AT&T here in the US. Hope it helps in your decision.
    ppeters914 likes this.
    02-25-19 02:14 PM
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